Brock Online Notes

Swiss Biotech firm Syngenta on Friday announced its support for the European Union’s plan to require shipments of U.S. corn gluten and brewers grain to be certified as free of its unauthorized Bt10 corn variety and said it expected testing for the presence of Bt10 to be available soon.

The company says it has been working closely with world leading and independent testing laboratory, GeneScan, as well as with the animal feed trade. “The certification for EU importation is expected to be operational within a few days at U.S. ports of departure,” said a Syngenta press release.

“We respect the Commission’s announcement today to ensure compliance with the existing regulations, which is fundamental to maintaining consumer confidence,” said Mike Mack, Chief Operating Officer of Syngenta Seeds. “We are fully committed to continue cooperation with all concerned parties, including the EU Commission and member states, to achieve this, including bringing this measure to its conclusion when the program is reconsidered by the Commission later this year.”

The EU’s new certification requirements for U.S. corn gluten and brewers’ grains are set to take effect Tuesday. The program will effectively ban such shipments until effective testing for Bt10 corn is available.

Editors note: Richard Brock, The Corn and Soybean Digest's Marketing Editor, is president of Brock Associates, a farm market advisory firm, and publisher of The Brock Report.